Figure’s unusual humanoid robot leverages OpenAI for natural speech conversations | TechCrunch – Techcrunch

Figure has unveiled its latest humanoid robot, the Figure 02. The machine is — and its name helpfully suggests — the successor to the Figure 01 robot unveiled in 2023. An preliminary teasr video is similar to those we’ve viewed from other humanoids, echoing user electronics product movies, in establish of a raw demo of the robot in toddle.

One other video launched Tuesday showcases the robot’s unhurried, zigzag leg gait across the floor of what appears to be like to be the demo establish constructed within the middle of Figure’s workplaces. One other two robots appear within the background, carting totes — the finest out-of-the-box software program for these kind of humanoids.

The most essential addition this day time out arrives by means a longstanding partnership with OpenAI, which helped Figure elevate a $675 million Sequence B abet in February, valuing the South Bay agency at $2.6 billion.

The mainstream explosion of neural networks has been enticing for the robotics commerce at extensive, but humanoid builders admire taken a particular ardour within the technology. Undoubtedly one of the invent factor’s key selling aspects is its skill to successfully slot alongside human co-workers on a manufacturing facility floor — as soon as the right security measures are in establish, in spite of all the pieces. Figure 02 is equipped with speakers and microphones to talk and listen to to of us at work.

Objects love ChatGPT and Google Gemini had been prized for his or her natural language capabilities, ushering in a unusual establish of spruce assistants and chatbots. Outfitting these methods with such capabilities is a no-brainer: Doing so helps humans converse the robots, while at the same time including a stage of transparency to what the robot is doing at any given time.

Verbal replace love this is double critical when dealing with humanoid robots, as the methods are designed to drag freely and not using a security cage. Regardless of their human-love invent, it’s critical now to now not lose study of the truth that they’re aloof, huge, heavy and doubtlessly awful items of shifting steel. Blended with vision and proximity sensors, speech will also be an fundamental security tool.

Figure completely isn’t by myself on this work. Late final year, Agility showcased the work it’s been doing to leverage generative AI for improved human-robot verbal replace. The usage of neural networks used to be a key point of interest for Google’s Day to day Robots team before it used to be shuttered. Elon Musk, meanwhile, is ostensibly responsible of both Grok AI and Optimus — two initiatives that can no question dovetail before later.

For its share, OpenAI has hedged its bets a bit within the class. Sooner than its Figure investment, the GPT agency backed Norwegian agency 1X. Over the past year, on the opposite hand, Figure has turn out to be far buzzier within the commerce. Its aforementioned Sequence B additionally integrated other prime tech names love Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia and Intel Capital.

Figure now not too prolonged within the past started pilots with BMW. In June, the firm debuted a video showcasing an earlier, tethered model of the robot autonomously performing tasks on the floor, with the relieve of neural networks.

The firm notes that the 02 robot has already paid a talk over with to the automaker’s Spartanburg, South Carolina, facility for coaching and recordsdata series suggestions. We’re aloof very mighty within the early phases of these partnerships. Agility, Apptronik and Sanctuary AI admire launched identical pilots with carmakers. Engaged on Teslas has been a key point of interest for Optimus since before it used to be Optimus, and Boston Dynamics-owner Hyundai has its sights establish for humanoids in its get factories.

Verbal replace is one fragment of what Figure is referring to as a “ground-up hardware and tool redesign” between 01 and 02. The checklist additionally entails six RGB cameras, coupled with an onboard visible language mannequin, improved CPU/GPU computing, and improved hands, with 16-levels of freedom.

Hands had been their very get sizzling button topic within the humanoid robot world. There are differing opinions relating to how closely designers ought to aloof hew to their human counterparts.

There’s lots to be acknowledged for the nimbleness and dexterity of our appendages, even if human-impressed hands had been criticized for his or her delicacy and a perceived over engineering. Figure, for its share, has been dedicated to the expend of humanlike hands as its machine’s discontinue effectors.

We don’t admire a timeline for a wider Figure 02 rollout, even if the firm is hinting at a broader future outdoors the warehouse/manufacturing facility floor. “Figure’s robot combines the dexterity of the human invent with progressed AI to map a huge vary of tasks across business applications and, within the near future, the home,” the firm writes.